New Delhi: The US president, Donald Trump, announced that his administration will lift sanctions imposed on Türkiye over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 air-defence system, marking a major shift in relations between the two Nato allies. He also said the United States is willing to consider selling F-35 stealth fighter jets to Turkey.
Speaking during his visit to Türkiye for the Nato summit, Trump said it was time to end the sanctions, adding that the United States should not penalize countries it considers friends. He said his administration was already working on the process of removing the restrictions.
Trump also dismissed concerns about Türkiye continuing to possess the Russian-made S-400 missile system. He said he had no worries about the issue and described US-Türkiye ties as stronger than ever.
The announcement came during Trump’s first visit to Türkiye as US president and the first visit by an American president to the country in 11 years. Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, welcomed him with a state ceremony before the two leaders held talks in Ankara.
The two leaders praised each other publicly, as Trump highlighted his strong relationship with Erdogan. The warm meeting reflected a significant improvement in ties compared with the previous US administration.
Trump also indicated support for Türkiye’s long-standing request to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet programme. He said Türkiye had been a loyal ally and that the advanced fighter aircraft was something his administration would consider selling.
Erdogan welcomed Trump’s remarks and said he hoped Türkiye would finally receive the F-35 jets. He recalled that Ankara had earlier expected to receive five aircraft before it was removed from the programme. Türkiye was excluded from the F-35 programme in 2019 after buying the Russian S-400 missile defence system. A year later, the United States imposed sanctions on Türkiye’s defence procurement agency, arguing that operating both systems could compromise the security of the stealth aircraft.
Current US law prevents Türkiye from returning to the F-35 programme while it continues to possess the S-400 system. Several US lawmakers have also opposed any sale of the jets, citing security concerns and Turkey’s regional policies.
One option being discussed is transferring the S-400 system to a third country, according to Reuters, although no agreement has been reached and it remains unclear whether Russia would approve such a move.